Words
by PencilGirl92
Summary: McGee's in danger, and Tony feels regret.  Not a lot of action, but focuses on relationship between the agents.  NO SLASH, please.  The relationship is like brothers.  Just something I wanted to write.
1. part 1

"Sticks and stones, Tony. Sticks and stones!"

"Then why do you make such a big deal of it, McGrudge?"

"Maybe because I don't like to be disrespected, DiNozzo!"

"Come on! It's just a joke!"

"Well maybe I'm sick of your jokes!"

"Wow, Probie, when'd you get to be such a stick-in-the-mud?"

"Just forget it, DiNozzo."

"Where are you going?"

"I'm calling a cab, and I'm leaving."

"Fine!"

"Fine."

"Yeah, go ahead!"

"I'm going!"

"Y—"

_Bang!_ And with that, the young agent fell forward, hitting the pavement.

"McGee?"

The senior agent ran up to his partner.

"McGee!"

He ripped out his cell and started dialing.

"D****t!"


	2. part 2

"Tony is late today? That seems hard to believe," Ziva continued to type as Gibbs picked up his phone. "Today's that new girl's first day. I thought for sure he would be there to… 'help her along.'"

"Where, Tony?" Gibbs was saying. "Aw, h***. I'll meet you there."

"Dead sailor or marine?" Ziva stood up.

"Neither, it's McGee."

…

"Tony, are you alright?" Ziva tried to study him.

"It happened so fast… I… I couldn't even… I didn't see him till… he was down…"

"Why don't you tell me everything you saw, Dinozzo?" Gibbs asked lightly.

"Not much to tell, boss. He was storming off one second, the next, bang and he was on the ground!"

"Any ideas where the 'bang' came from?"

"No, boss."

"Go on home, Dinozzo."

"With all due respect, sir, I'd like to find this son of a b****."

"Alright, start by looking over the scene."

"I will go with him," Ziva didn't look at Tony. They then left through the double doors of the hospital entrance.

Gibbs's phone went off. "Yeah, Gibbs." A voice spoke hurriedly on the other line. "Abby, calm down. McGee's in surgery. When I get the bullet, I'll send it down to you." A pause, then one question, to which Gibbs answered, "I don't know, Abbs. I don't know."

…

"Blood. Blood. Just more blood!" Tony punched the hood of a car.

Ziva snapped some pictures of the blood splotches, which undoubtedly belonged to McGee. "Are you sure you don't want to go home?"

"It's my fault, Ziva. If I had been paying attention I would have seen this coming!"

"Not even McGee saw it coming."

"Well I would have at least seen where the shot came from!" Tony sighed and sat against the car. "I said things to him—"

"Everyone regrets their last moments with a friend."

"It's not simple regret Ziva! I—"

"Always picked on him, yes. But jokingly, and he even shot back."

"If we hadn't been fighting, I would have seen the shot, maybe even the criminal."

"Just think for a moment. Do you remember from where the shot originated?"

"I don't know… Probably over by these bushes…"

"Yes, a good hideaway…" Ziva looked around the shrubs and saw a simple flat yard behind it. "…and getaway. He must have escaped through these yards. We will talk to the residents. Starting with this house."

They made their way to the porch and knocked on the door. "You ever wish you could be someone else?" Tony asked suddenly.

"What do you mean?"

"You know, be a different person. Not a Mossad-trained killer, but… I don't know, an all-American girl who models for a living."

"Is that supposed to be a compliment, Tony?"

The door started to open. "Nevermind."

"Yes?" a woman peeked out the crack of a door.

"Special Agent DiNozzo, Officer David. We have some questions for you."

"Special agents? This must be serious."

"It is, ma'am. Were you at home earlier this evening?"

"Yes, I was."

"Did you see anything out of the ordinary?"

"No, I didn't."

"A lotta help lady," Dinozzo groaned.

"You did not hear anything strange?" Ziva stepped in front.

"Well, I had a party this evening, ma'am. I couldn't hear anything."

"We need a list of the guests at your party, please."

"Of course. Um… may I ask what this is all about?"

"No," Tony answered sternly.

"Oh… alright then."

…

"What've you got, Abbs?" Gibbs carried a Caf-Pow into the forensics lab.

"I can't do this, Gibbs! I need to know that McGee's okay!"

"I don't know, Abbs. But the best we can do for him right now is to do our job."

"Yeah, I know. Alright, so the bullet came from a simple pistol. The weird thing is that it was in perfect condition, no smushes, no slashes, not even a knick. Gibbs?"

"Yeah, Abby?"

"Did it go in and out?"

"Nope, they took it out of him. Didn't hit a bone, though."

"Well, I was able to pull a partial print from the bullet. I'm running it now."

"Is that it, Abbs?"

"No, there's just one more thing." She paused.

"Well?"

"Tony… is he okay?"

"Tony's fine, Abbs, he's investigating now."

"I don't mean physically… I mean, I know he wasn't shot. But…"

"He'll be fine, Abbs. Keep working." He put the Caf-Pow down and left the room. Abby stared at it for awhile, then turned back to her work.

…

"Well, the shooter was certainly careful not to leave a trail," Ziva noticed.

"McGee was an excellent tracker… I bet he could find him."

"Tony, is there something you want to talk about?"

"Like what, Ziva?"

"Like that modeling question earlier."

Tony sighed. "I was just thinking, I mean, how life could've been different if—"

"You were not a cop?"

"I wasn't me."

"Like what?"

"Cracking jokes all the time, offending people."

"You are just thinking about this now?"

"Our argument… I had been making jokes, and—"

"McGee never took your jokes seriously, Tony."

"He did this time."

"He was probably just in a bad mood."

"Sure, but I should have noticed and kept quiet!"

"Tony," Ziva made him look her in the eye. "Listen to me. You are not to blame. Okay? Things like this happen in our field of work."

"But why? Why McGee? Why this street?"

"That is our job to figure out."

…

_ A phone call at McGee's desk. He picked it up. "Special Agent McGee speaking."_

_ Tony glanced up then went back to his work._

_ "What?" McGee was whispering now._

_ Tony looked up again. McGee was white as a sheet. "Everything okay, there, Probie?"_

_ McGee had his full focus on the caller. Then, he suddenly looked around him. "Stop. What are you talking about?"_

_ Tony stood up._

_ "I have no idea!" McGee's whisper was turned to panic._

_ "McGee!"_

_ "Yes… Yes… but I won't." A pause. McGee bit his lip, and then he put down the phone. He rubbed his temples with his hands._

_ "What was that about?"_

_ "Nothing, Tony… Nothing…"_

…

"Tony! Tony!" Ziva snapped her fingers in front of Tony's blank stare. "You still with me?"

"Yeah…" He sat up and started the car.

"What are you doing? I thought you wanted to pork this place out."

"You mean stake-out." The car began to move. "And I just thought of something."

…

"Hey, Abby!" they burst into the lab.

"Tony!" Abby gave him a huge hug. "You alright? You okay? How are you?"

"Abby, there's no time for that! I need you to trace a call."

"You've got it, Dinozzo!" She put her fingers on the keyboard at the ready. "What's the receiving number?"

"McGee's desk."

Abby turned to him. "What?"

Ziva added, "What?"

Tony nodded, "McGee's desk, two days ago."

Ziva looked at him, and so did Abby.

"Hop to it, Abby!"

"Tony…" Ziva started.

"McGee's been on edge ever since he got that phone call! I can't believe I didn't realize it before!"

Abby pulled up the calls. "Here, Tony."

"What's that one?"

"Payphone… outside of…" She typed some more and it came up on the map.

They all stared at it, shocked for a moment.

"Right outside… our building?" Abby mumbled.

"That does not make sense. Why would they call McGee when they could just go inside?"

"Because they didn't want to see him… They wanted to blackmail him."

"What?" Abby turned again.

"McGee… on the phone. It was obviously an uncomfortable moment. He was threatened… blackmailed. And I daresay he didn't pay up."

"But why did he not just come to us?" Ziva asked.

"I don't know."

"Is there any way to find the blackmailer?"

"Abby… run these names." Tony handed her the sheet of paper the woman gave them earlier.

"Tony… are you alright?"

"Yeah… I'm gonna catch this son of a b****."


	3. part 3

"Where are we going, Ziva?" Tony was annoyed at her mystery road trip.

"Give it a rest, Tony. You will see." Ziva pulled the car into a parking lot.

Tony looked out the window. "Ziva! We don't have time for this!"

"All you have been talking about was your regrets for the words you had said!"

"So?"

"So… You are coming!" She got out of the car and started walking toward the entrance. Tony begrudgingly and reluctantly followed.

…

"What've you got Abbs?" Another Caf-Pow.

"Gibbs! Tony got me back on board! I'm running names and matching them with the fingerprints from the phone outside the building! We'll catch this guy soon!"

Gibbs put the Caf-Pow down.

"Ah, Jethro," Ducky came in. "I was hoping to find Tony, but I wanted to talk to Abby as well."

"She's busy, Duck. You might have to come back another time."

"Tony and Ziva went somewhere… Don't know where…" Abby stared at the monitor, not even looking at her drink.

"I think I do…" Ducky nodded. "Based upon what I've seen from Ziva and him."

…

Tony stood outside the door. Part of him didn't even want to go in, and he listened to that part. "No words are worse than kidding words…" Ziva whispered. "I'll let you alone." She walked down the dim hallway. Tony just continued to stare at McGee lying there. Never had he looked so… lifeless. The monitor beeping was the only way he knew he was alive.

He started to speak, but his voice was hoarse. He cleared his throat. "Probie… What did you get yourself into?" He stayed outside the door. "Why didn't you come to us?" He turned away and began to walk.

"Don't leave so soon, Anthony," Ducky stood in front of him.

"Doc…"

"Talk to me, Anthony."

"The last thing I said to him…"

"Isn't it all a bit too cliché for you? Regretting the latest words?"

"It doesn't matter. Those were the last moments he had."

"They don't have to be."

Ducky led Tony into the room, right up to McGee's bed. Tony didn't look at his junior partner.

"Timothy… what do you have to tell us? Hm? Who tried to kill you?"

Tony looked at him and swallowed hard. "He was being blackmailed, Ducky. I just know it. That's why he was upset. He knew someone was after him."

"For what?"

"Whatever it was, McGee was stubborn not to give it to him."

"And he took his shot."

"I just don't get why he didn't tell us!"

"Perhaps Timothy was not the only life threatened in this."

"What?"

"Perhaps he was protecting all of us."

"Because if we investigated…"

"We would be shot down as well."

"Aw, Probie…"

"Ducky!" Ziva entered the room.

"Good evening, Miss David."

"How's he looking Ducky?"

"Well, both seem alright." He winked at Tony.

A cell phone chime. Tony picked it up. "Dinozzo."

_"I've got it!"_

"Abby?"

_"I found the criminal!"_

"Great job, Abbs! Where can we find him?"

…

"Knock, knock! Open up! NCIS!" Tony yelled. Without hesitation, he kicked down the shed door. He gasped. "What the…?" There were guns, hunting rifles and pistols, revolvers and sniper picks. "A gunman…"

"And a sniper…" Ziva looked at the guns. "I think I found the murder weapon."

Tony looked over and picked up the pistol, bagging it. "Where's our criminal?"

Ziva gasped. "Tony! Get down!" She lunged to him, bringing him to the ground just as a shot broke through the shed window. "He's got one of the guns!"

"I guess this is what McGee was protecting us from."

"Now what? We are sitting geese in this shed."

"Sitting ducks…" Tony looked around. "I don't know…"

…

"NCIS Special Agents… drop the gun."

The criminal released the trigger. "I thought ya'll were down there… How did—" he turned and stopped short, frightened as if he'd seen a ghost. "There's no way!"

McGee in front, Gibbs slightly to the side, both holding pistols towards him.

"How on earth…?"

"You're under arrest for the attempted murder of an NCIS agent." Gibbs said.

McGee went over with the cuffs.

"You have the right to remain silent…"

…

_ Tony and Ziva had just left. Gibbs walked through the door and into McGee's room, where Ducky still stood. "Jethro. I think he's in good shape for having just been shot right near the heart."_

_ Gibbs walked over to the bed. "McGee, you listen to me. You will make it through this. I've said this to Dinozzo once and I'll say it to you… 'You will not die.' You got that?"_

_ McGee's eyes were shut, with no evidence of hearing or even being present there._

_ Gibbs brought his hand up and slapped the top of his head. "You hear me, Elf Lord?"_

…

"He has stopped shooting…"

"I think that means you can get off me now, Ziva!"

"Oh, sorry!" Ziva got up and looked out the window.

"Well?" Tony dusted off his pants.

"I can't see anything…"

"Hey… look at this…"

Ziva walked over and picked up what Tony pointed to. "Words…" she stated simply.

"It's a code."

"What?"

"It's the reason McGee was shot." Tony rubbed his forehead. "Our case… we were getting close… McGee wrote these words out. It was a code."

"That is why you were out this morning?"

"McGee and I were at some coffee place, trying to figure out the code. I should have noticed that he was more anxious to do it since that phone call. The criminal found this sheet of paper… and he knew what McGee was up to."

"You're a walking target, Tony!"

"No… McGee must have gone in deeper, without my knowledge. Either that, or the criminal just didn't know about my involvement. He would've shot me when he shot McGee if I was a target."

"What does all of this mean?"

"It means the man who shot McGee was the same man who killed that petty officer's wife!"

"Of course! The mystery code case! Isn't he…" Ziva looked toward the door suddenly.

"A serial killer, yeah…" Tony still stood, looking at the paper.

Ziva grasped her gun and pointed it at the door. "Tony…" she whispered. "Get down!"

Tony held up his gun and crouched in the corner.

"Three… two…" Ziva kicked the door. But she didn't shoot. Neither did Tony.

"Tim…" Tony stood up.

"Gosh, Ziva, you near scared me to death!" McGee laughed.

"McGee?" Ziva lowered her gun. "But we just saw you in the hospital?"

"The boss gave me a pep-talk, and—" he felt a slap to the back of his head.

"Don't you ever do that again to me, Probie!" Tony's voice shuddered.

"You were worried about me?"

"Of course I was, McGee!"

Tim laughed. "I never thought 'Very Special Agent Anthony Dinozzo' would ever admit to such a thing!"

"Sticks and stones, Timmy…" Dinozzo mumbled, jokingly repeating McGee's phrase.

"Hurry it up!" Gibbs called from the car. "We've got to get this guy to interrogation!"

…

"Tim!" Abby jumped at him, nearly knocking him over. Then, she quickly pulled away and scowled, pointing at him firmly. "Don't you never ever do that to me again, McGee!" She crossed her arms.

"Why do you and Tony act like it's my fault?"

"Because it is, Probie!" Tony stated matter-of-factly.

"You should have come to us the moment you knew," Ziva added.

"I had to investigate by myself, guys."

"It's not worth your life to spare the risk of ours," Tony told him. "We can take care of ourselves, unlike the little junior probie like you." He stopped. "Sorry."

"Tony… you get on my nerves…" McGee started. "But I wouldn't wish it any other way." Tony smirked. "Besides… I can usually get you back tenfold…"

"What? Please! That's not even true!"

"Yeah, it kinda is…" Abby shrugged.

"Yes." Ziva agreed.

"Whatever, McCome-Back!"

McGee smiled. "Now that's a nickname I can deal with."


End file.
